The government will conduct a special *Girdawari* (crop damage assessment) to evaluate the losses suffered by crops due to the recent rains and hailstorms in Punjab. These directives were issued by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who stated that farmers would be compensated for their crop losses. He added that the administration is closely monitoring the entire situation.

**New Law on Sacrilege to Come into Force Immediately Upon Enactment**

The Chief Minister announced that the legislation currently being drafted to address acts of sacrilege will come into effect on the very day it is enacted. "We have convened a special session for this purpose," he said. "Since this is a state-specific law, it will become operational from that very day; there is no requirement to forward it to the President for assent." He further added that if the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) wishes to offer any suggestions regarding this legislation, they are welcome to do so.

**The Formula Behind Providing Free Electricity in Punjab**

The Chief Minister explained that the Punjab government had previously acquired a coal mine, but it had remained non-operational. Consequently, the state used to purchase coal from private companies. "We revived and began operating our own coal mine," he stated. "We successfully met our target of extracting 70 lakh (7 million) metric tonnes of coal. We took over the mine in October 2022, and to date, we have saved ₹1,462 crore. This is where the funds come from."

"Had we continued purchasing coal in the manner Captain [Amarinder Singh] and Sukhbir Badal did in the past, it would have cost us an additional ₹1,462 crore. It is precisely for this reason that the Electricity Board did not incur a loss, enabling us to provide electricity free of cost. Captain and Sukhbir Badal should take note of this—this is how effective governance is executed. They claim that all the electricity currently being generated was actually 'generated' by their fathers; if that were true, then why couldn't their 'fathers' generate votes? After all, you had handed over the entire electricity sector to private entities. All those solar power projects under the 'Satyawala' banner belong to Majithia; they would have citizens install the projects, only to subsequently take them over for themselves."

**No Shortage of Coal in Punjab**

The Chief Minister asserted that reports regarding a depletion of coal reserves in Punjab are now outdated. "We currently have a reserve of 41 days' worth of coal remaining at Rupnagar, 37 days' worth at Lehra Mohabbat, and 32 days' worth at Goindwal," he noted. "This constitutes a substantial reserve for us, especially given that coal supplies are continuously arriving from the source." He further announced that the Shahpur Kandi Project is scheduled to become operational in May 2027.